Study 4 of 6 – Faith Produces Love – Colossians 1:3-9

Discussion question

What are some key markers of a Christian? Ie, what can you observe?

Context

Our series about the word and worth of ‘faith’ has taken us on the following tour: 1) faith is not a mystical feeling but a confidence in a message, 2) faith is never alone but is visible in the way a person conducts their life and affairs, and 3) faith pays out with eternal life and no less than that.

So, you can see that this little word carries a lot of weight. It is meaningful and profound, it makes a difference in a person’s life, and it is worth selling everything to have it.

This week, we look at a part of a letter from Paul to a church that he has not yet met. We will listen to what Paul has heard about this church from word of mouth. We will try to see if what he sees is also seen in us.

Observation

Structure

  • 3-4 God has clearly worked in you…
  • 5-6 Because the gospel has beared fruit in you
  • 7-8 This gospel is spread by faithful people through the Spirit

Here are some questions you could use to go through the passage…

  1. Read Colossians 1:3-8 out loud then have one person retell the passage from memory, then reread the passage. What jumps off the page for you?
  1. Paul and Timothy thank God whenever they pray for the readers of this letter (the church in Colossae). What do they include in their prayers?
  1. Why is God being thanked for what the church is doing?
  1. What is the message that the church received and truly understood? Use some or all of the following Bible passages to get a picture of what the Bible says about grace.
    1. Colossians 1:13-14
    2. Ephesians 2:1-10
    3. Romans 3:23
    4. 1 Timothy 1:15
    5. Romans 6:23
    6. John 3:16
    7. 1 Peter 3:18
    8. 1 John 4:10
  1. Colossians 1:3-8 praises a church for their faith and love that is grounded in their hope. What is the connection between love, hope and faith?

Meaning

The good news centres on God’s free gift of salvation, which is spread by people telling people the authentic unaltered message of grace. The Spirit of God brings that message alive in people when they receive it and believe it. The outworking of the gospel is Christian love flowing from people’s real trust in Jesus Christ. When God’s true message of grace reaches someone’s ears, the Spirit transforms that person’s life because of the hope that produces faith and love. God’s authentic transforming message is packaged in human relationship but empowered from Himself.

Picture this in diagram form beginning with the will of God and ending with hearts transformed by the gospel of grace…

God the Father → Jesus Christ crucified for sins IS the gospel of grace → Paul preaches this gospel → Epaphras hears it and delivers it back home → people in Colossae hear the true message and truly understand it → faith and love through the Spirit

Application

Application A: Love does not come by searching inward but by looking upward. The faith and love in this passage is described as shooting from the hope of the church. They have heard and truly understood the grace of God and this results in demonstratable love and faith. If faith is something that you can observe, it is observable because a person has eternal hope. Love is also sprung out of that same hope. Our perspectives change because of it. It’s easy to love somebody who has loved us first but the gospel shows us that this is not necessary. God demonstrated his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Application B: Christianity is a faith grounded in real relationships. The gospel could not have reached Colossae without Paul or Epaphras. The gospel could not have reached Colossae without the Spirit of God. We do not belong to church for human relationships only. We belong because of the Spirit of God who has brought us into the knowledge of God’s grace and love. We only know this truth, however, because of humans who have also been touched by God’s grace in truth.